Plain English Part 76

+Tuesday+

Honest--Deceitful Fearful--Fearless Punctual--Tardy Identical--Different

+Wednesday+

Thoughtful--Thoughtless Rich--Poor Attentive--Inattentive Industrious--Lazy

+Thursday+

Quickly Lovely Clearly Cleanly

+Friday+

Homely Truly Courtly Nearly

+Sat.u.r.day+

Otherwise Herewith Sometime Always

PLAIN ENGLISH

LESSON 21

Dear Comrade:

In this lesson we are completing the study of conjunctions. We have studied the conjunction last among the parts of speech and in the order of the development of language, the conjunction naturally comes last.

The need of connective words does not come in any language until the language is quite well developed. You will notice that the connective words, such as prepositions and conjunctions are the last words the child begins to use. The child first begins to use the names of the things with which it comes in contact, then it learns the words that express what these things do. But it is not until the child begins to reason that it begins to use connective words. These become necessary when we have reached a stage of development where we can consider the relations.h.i.+p existing between things.

The use of conjunctions, however, can be greatly overdone. The long and involved sentences are more difficult to understand. If you will note the authors which you enjoy the most, it will probably be those who use short and crisp sentences. We have some authors who by the use of conjunctions can string one sentence out over several pages. You wonder how they manage to exist so long without stopping for breath. It is very easy for us to fall into this error when we are thinking rapidly and our thoughts all seem to be closely connected. But no mind can grasp many ideas at one time. Break your sentences up and express your ideas concisely and clearly. Use conjunctions rather sparingly, especially these subordinate conjunctions. Do not have too many subordinate clauses in one sentence.

Notice in your reading for this week those who use the short, crisp sentences and those who use the longer and more involved sentences.

Notice which are understood more readily and which are more enjoyable to read. Take some of the paragraphs from those who write long and involved sentences and break them up into short sentences and see if these shorter sentences do not make the meaning simpler and clearer. This will be excellent practice also in gaining the power of expression.

Especially in the cla.s.s struggle do we need those who can write clearly and simply of the great problems of the day. As the work of the world is conducted today, the workers have too little time for reading. They are apt, after a hard day's work, to be too tired to follow an author through long, winding, involved pa.s.sages.

In the spoken word, this is also true. You will find your hearers much more in sympathy with you if you will use short sentences. Break your thought up so they can readily grasp your meaning and follow you to your conclusion.

Conjunctions are very important to save us from tiresome repet.i.tions and short, jerky sentences, but we must avoid using them too frequently.

Yours for Education,

THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGE.

SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS

+347.+ We have found that co-ordinate conjunctions connect words, phrases and also clauses that are entirely independent; that is, they do not depend in the slightest degree upon any other word, phrase or clause. Subordinate conjunctions connect inferior clauses to the main clauses of the sentence. These inferior clauses are dependent clauses.

Subordinate conjunctions never connect words or phrases; but only dependent clauses, to the rest of the sentence. Note the following sentences:

He came _quickly_.

He came _on time_.

He came _when he was called_.

In the first sentence the word _quickly_ is an adverb modifying the verb _came_ and answers the question _when_. It tells _when_ he came. In the second sentence, the phrase _on time_ is an adverb phrase modifying the verb _came_, and answers the question _when_. It tells _when_ he came.

In the third sentence, the clause _when he was called_, also answers the question _when_, and tells _when_ he came. Therefore, it is a clause used as an adverb. It is different from the phrase _on time_, for the phrase _on time_ does not contain a subject and a predicate.

+348.+ The difference between the phrase and the clause is that the phrase does not contain either a subject or a predicate, while the clause _always_ contains both a subject and a predicate. So in the clause, _when he was called_, _he_ is the subject and _was called_ is the predicate, and _when_ is the subordinate conjunction, which connects this adverb clause to the verb _came_, which it modifies. The clause _he came_, and the clause _when he was called_, are not of equal rank and importance, because the clause, _when he was called_, simply modifies the verb contained in the clause _he came_, by describing the _time_ of the action expressed in the verb _came_. So the clause, _when he was called_, is a subordinate or dependent clause, and the conjunctions which connect this cla.s.s of clauses to the main clause are called subordinate conjunctions.

+349.+ +A subordinate conjunction is one that connects a dependent clause to the princ.i.p.al clause.+

CLa.s.sES OF SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS

+350.+ Most subordinate conjunctions are used to make adverb clauses.

These clauses will answer some one of the questions answered by adverbs.

They will tell _how_, _when_, _where_ or _why_ the action expressed in the verb in the princ.i.p.al clause occurred. There are six cla.s.ses of these subordinate conjunctions which are used to introduce adverb clauses. They introduce:

+351.+ +Adverb clause of time.+ These clauses will answer the question _when_ and are introduced by such subordinate conjunctions as, _before_, _since_, _as_, _while_, _until_, _when_, _after_ and _as soon as_.

Notice in the following sentences the difference made in the meaning of the sentences by the use of the different conjunctions:

We waited _until_ you came.

We waited _after_ you came.

We waited _as_ you came.

We waited _before_ you came.

We waited _since_ you came.

We left _while_ you were gone.

We left _when_ you were gone.

We left _as soon as_ you were gone.

+352.+ +Adverb clause of place.+ These answer the question _where_, and are introduced by the conjunctions, _where_, _whence_, _whither_.

I will go _where_ you go.

The wind blows _whither_ it listeth.

He went _whence_ he came.

+353.+ +Adverb clauses expressing cause or reason.+ These will answer the question _why_. They are introduced by such subordinate conjunctions as, _because_, _for_, _since_, _as_, _whereas_, _inasmuch as_, etc.

Note the difference in the meaning of the following sentences expressed by the use of different conjunctions:

I will come _because_ you expect me.

I will come _since_ you expect me.

I will come _as_ you expect me.

I will come _for_ you expect me.

I will come _inasmuch as_ you expect me.